at last we meet again (fina)

[wicked]

Cosette entered the Forest, looking behind her at the town. Lying in the alleyway, unbeknownst to the villagers, lay a man, unconscious. He'd been a creep at the bar, and Cosette had been so exceptionally hungry... well, one thing led to another, and she lured him into the alley, knocked him out, drained some blood, and fled before anyone became suspicious. She darted into the woods, smirking slightly. She really enjoyed this vampire gig, regardless of how much her life had changed. It was nearly December, which meant it had nearly been a year since she had been Turned by Maks.

Maks. Cosette's smirk morphed into a smile. She missed her lover dearly. They were going to grow old together, thank the stars. Still, with his job and her residing in Russia, it was difficult to see one another. The distance was hard, but they managed, knowing full well that they'd be together again very soon. The winter was rolling in here in London, making for a comfortable climate change from the hot, hot summer. Cosette enjoyed the lack of sunshine, and was looking forward to when snow graced the Earth. For now, she was content with the rain.

A storm was coming. She could smell it on the air. Cosette was looking forward to it. It was freshly night, so she had plenty of time before she needed to return to her home. She was visiting London more frequently lately, though she couldn't say why. Wandering through the Forest, she came across the school. It hadn't been her intention to wander so far, but now that she could see the castle, it made her smile. She paused at the edge of the Forest, leaning against a tree.

The protective Charms in place would prevent her from entering any farther onto the grounds. In a way, that was a good thing. Cosette hadn't set foot back into the school since Maks had whisked her away to Moscow. It held many bad memories. In an essence, it symbolized her death. The girl Cosette had died and been reborn as a woman in the school with Maks, and the woman Cosette had died and been reborn as a siren of the night by Maks' hand. Frankly, she couldn't have been happier.

Cosette's Outfit

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[serafina]

All day the dark, plush clouds had taunted Fina, hanging overcast in the sky, but bringing nothing but the still feeling that came just before the storm. Fina loved storms. It was as if she was a child again, out in the Irish countryside, rather than stuffy Dublin. She had kept an eye to the sky all day, the intense feeling of suspense driving her insane. She had to go dance in the rain. It had been so long after the arid summer, and her heart needed the release. It was as if the rain washed away whatever mask she wore for the rest of the world, reducing her to only herself. She needed that. Particularly now that she was beginning to feel....feelings.

Fina lay on her stomach, damning the basement dorms she had been given. It was a small price to pay for avoiding the damnation of living in the same dorm as her family, but nights like this she'd give anything to be where she could feel that cool night air on her face. She waited with baited breath until she was sure every last witch in the dorm was asleep. Sure, her father had drilled it into his children time and time again that archery in the rain is awful. It'll rot the bow. The arrows will need to be rebalanced. Fina just didn't care.

In no time at all she was out the door, not too busy playing her usual game of spy to avoid the prefects. They'd given up a long time ago on trying to reign her in. Her feet were silent against the lush grass, free to sprout towards the blackening sky, released from their browned and dead prison. She sprinted, bow and quivers thumping in ryhthym with her step against her back, forming an entirely new heartbeat.

The woods weren't far enough. She had to be where no light could shine. She wanted to feel nothing but the rain and the feel of her bow in her hand. She plunged further still, not stopping as a thunderous clap of sound shook the ground. The drops began their dance to the ground, sliding from the trees and pounding against her flesh. She stopped, tilting her face up to the sky, although she saw nothing but dark.

A brilliant streak of lightning split the sky, illuminating the woods around her. Eyes. She froze, unsure if she had seen those eyes, or if it was her stressed imagination. As expected, the lightning errupted closely after the tremendous grumble of the sky. There it was. Something that looked human...but you couldn't assume anything in these woods. She stepped closer, peering into the dark.

"Lumos," she whispered, the green light flooding across Cosette's face. "Oh my Lord!" The wand dropped from her hands as she launched herself at her friend. "I haven't seen you in donkey's years you melter!" She threw her arms around her neck, rocking back and forth. "Where the feck have you been?" She cried.

[wicked]

Cosette's tranquility was soon interrupted by the smell of a human nearby. She recoiled, pulling the darkness around her and watching the treeline from the shadows. Another foolish mortal, wandering into the dangerous Forest. Cosette's throat burned, and she swallowed anxiously. There wasn't anything she could do about the burn. The only thing she could do was swallow it down and hope and pray that she would be able to control herself. She had gotten very good at it, but she was only a year old in her vampirism. Mistakes could still be made.

She watched, nose upturned as the smell got closer. No doubt it was a pair of horny teenagers meeting each other for a romp in the woods. However, the smell stayed singular. It was only one person. Female, by the looks of it. She stepped back further into the trees as said female entered the woods. With a loud clap and a bright light, the storm began. Cosette struggled to keep the shadows reeled in around her. Her learned ability to manipulate the shadows came in handy with her new lifestyle, but there wasn't any guarantee that she was concealed, especially now with the occasional lightning that danced across the sky. At one point, the flash of light revealed the stranger's face. Cosette bit her tongue, horrified.

Fina. Her best friend from her old life. They hadn't seen each other since the Battle. Cosette had cut off all contact with the real world. Most presumed her to be dead, except for the few that Maks had told the truth, like Persephone. They'd kept her condition under wraps. Even though it had been dire, most still wouldn't understand. Cosette shrunk away as her friend turned in her direction, eyes wide, wand drawn. Shit.

"Lumos."

Cosette was helpless as the shadows fled from her grasp at the spell, leaving her in the light. She shrank away from the light, but didn't miss Fina's expression. The wand dropped from the girl's hand as she flung herself forward, arms wrapping around Cosette's shoulders. The vampire stood their, stock-still, unsure of what to do. She hadn't had much contact with humans in this sense. Being only a year into her vampirism, she was still exceptionally strong, and the last thing she wanted to do was break Fina. So, like an idiot, Cosette just stood there.

"Oh my Lord! I haven't seen you in a donkey's years, you melter! Where the feck have you been?"

Cosette swallowed down the burning in her throat, unsure of what to say. Finally, her lips parted, allowing words through. "Kind of a long story."

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